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Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One boss, is convinced the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will teach Formula One’s “old school” a lesson with the city pulling out all the stops to stage a real spectacle.
Mr Ecclestone, who has steered F1 for the past three decades, admits being as excited about the UAE’s debut event as any fan and is impressed by the lengths to which the organisers have gone to ensure it is a success.
“All eyes will be on Abu Dhabi on November 1 and it will help take our sport into new territory,” he said.
“But what I am most happy about is the sheer enthusiasm the organisers have – they are stopping at nothing to make this spectacular.”
He said Europe could learn a lesson from the amount of effort Abu Dhabi has put into hosting its inaugural Grand Prix.
“Abu Dhabi will have some great concerts and many other things geared to getting the public involved. That just does not happen in Europe as much as it should.” The National
The F1 supremo has lent 12 of his vintage Grand Prix racing cars from his private collection to the Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM). The cars date back from the 1930s to the 1980s.
Cars include the 1937 Mercedes Benz W125. Known as the ‘Silver Arrow,’ it has a supercharged 5.66-litre straight-eight cylinder engine with a horsepower of 646. The Silver Arrow could touch a top speed of 190 mph.
The cars are already on display at the Emirates Palace’s Grand Atrium and will be there till November 3.
The 1954 Maserati 250F was driven by the legendary five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who won one of his five titles in that car.
“Mr. Ecclestone overwhelmed us with his generosity by lending us 12 of his vintage Grand Prix cars from his private collection,” ADMM said in a statement on Sunday.
“This event will be a great opportunity to educate the Emirati population that is new to this sport on how these cars’ designs and engineering evolved,” ADMM said. Khaleej Times
